Thursday, October 28, 2010

As someone who enjoys the outdoors, I appreciate having such an amazing and diverse biome close-by in the Appalachian Mountains. Backpacking is a favorite hobby of mine, so the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome provides great views and challenging hikes.

This biome is classified by four layers of vegetation and a moderate climate that has both a warm and cold season.

The American Alligator occupies an ecological niche in the southeastern United States. They typically live in freshwater swampland, but occasionally are found in brackish water. They depend on wetlands and prey on small animals and rodents, which makes them a beneficial predator in containing the rodent populations in the areas that it inhabits.

Mitochondrial Eve is thought to be the genetic matriarch for all living humans. All mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) in every human today initially came from her. She is the counterpart to Mitochondrial Adam, the patrilineal most recent ancestor. They are believed to have lived thousands of years apart despite these comparisons.